


Forgiveness is all it takes

by BlessedTarantula



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-12
Updated: 2013-05-12
Packaged: 2017-12-11 17:08:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/801100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlessedTarantula/pseuds/BlessedTarantula
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He was never quite the monster he was painted to be</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forgiveness is all it takes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [keresWings](https://archiveofourown.org/users/keresWings/gifts).



A lot of things had happened over the course of two sweeps. The Grand Highblood had become less and less involved with the whims and orders of The Condesce, though he still played a huge role in the Alternian ‘law’, making sure every troll below the Empress was miserable in one way or another.

He used to find the system fair, strict but fair. His mind had been changed and his views swayed as of late, but as much as he was starting to disagree with the reign of The Empress, he had no choice but to keep doing as she asked. Because since his opinion had changed, the high fish bitch now had a new way to control Highblood, and any way to do so was welcome to her, since he could easily counter her mind control with his own mind tricks.

Her new-found method of control over him was The Dolorosa. Since the execution of The Signless, Dolorosa's son, Highblood had fought long and hard through both Mindfang and Dualscar’s crew and forces single handedly to reach the jadeblood, and steal her away from the two of them.

It could have been a case of from two awful masters to another, but Highblood was not so cruel to the Dolorosa; he wouldn’t be cruel to someone who he had ended up with hideous scars for. His paint he now wore thicker than usual, to cover the scar that had been a wound, gouged deep across his brow, the bridge of his nose and his cheek, inflicted by a dagger Mindfang swung at him in an attempt to make him back away from Dolorosa.

The pain hadn’t stopped him.

These days, The Dolorosa would sit among a pile of pillows, sewing together the fabric of some of Highblood’s clothing. She had a love for sewing, Highblood knew this, so he bought new fabric for her often, and she tended to repair clothing that ended up wrecked after he had ended up in a fight. She also tended to his wounds, made sure he ate on a regular basis, and helped him get over to sleep since he refused to invest in a recuperacoon for himself, claiming ‘he’d seen worse for real than any daymare could show him’.

And all of her own free will.

She was no slave to Highblood; he had taken her from between Mindfang and Dualscar, not because he decided a jadeblood would look nice tethered to his throne instead of the mangy old oliveblood he used to keep, the poor guy was getting old and he’d probably need shot soon. No, he’d bought her because he pitied her.

When Signless had started to preach his final sermon, he saw the look in her eyes, and it had pained him. He had felt remorse before for things he had done, but never so intense. Even now, even if it meant his own death, he wished he could have prevented the Signless’ execution.

But as her son had taught her, The Dolorosa has forgiven Highblood, as Signless had forgiven him. And that is what made him decide he needed to stop Mindfang and Dualscar from killing her in a fit of anger because their kismesistude was falling flat. She had forgiven him, nobody else would do that.

He pitied her, and he held onto her because she was the last shred of care he would ever have, and ever feel. Dolorosa knew this, of course, and as much as she could have taken advantage of him for it, she never did. She learned to see past the beast he had been painted to be, metaphorically and literally, she managed to see that he was still a troll. A lonely troll that feared more things than could be imagined for someone as strong and high status he was.

He feared being alone. He was terrified of the daylight but also of complete darkness. Silence. The Condescention. 

She now saw that even The Grand Highblood, the most formidable troll alive on Alternia, was just as afraid as the lowbloods, just for different reasons.

Highblood lay, his head in Dolorosa’s lap, shaking slightly as she tried to comfort him, one hand on his shoulders, the other stroking his (now tame) hair, which she usually spent hours brushing out for him.

“It’s ok, Fenrir.” She spoke, looking down at him, with the same care and fondness she had she had shown for him since the day she realised he meant her no harm. “It’s over.”

He had been forced to cull orphaned wrigglers. They would usually be left to starve, be eaten by hungry lusii or beasts, or even for other trolls that found them to cull, but The Empress was a sadistic and narcissistic bitch, who enjoyed nothing more than being reminded of the power she had over Highblood.

It took him a while to calm down, but when he did, he sat up, nuzzling her cheek softly.

“Thank you, Alesha.” He rested his forehead on her shoulder, smiling slightly when she shifted to crawl into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her, lifting his head to look down at her. 

Dolorosa pressed a soft kiss to his lips, smiling warmly up at the indigo troll.

“You do not need to thank me Fenrir.” She kissed his cheek. “I love you, and I am here for you.”

“I love you too.” They sat like that for a while, in silence, just enjoying each other’ presence, and the feeling of being close to each other. It wasn’t rare this happened, no, but every time it happened it always felt special to them.

Eventually, Fenrir had fallen asleep, his thick paint having been weakened by tears and smudged from wiping his cheeks, so Dolorosa could see the scar beneath ever so slightly. She traced it with the pad of her forefinger, before pressing a soft kiss to his nose, cuddling up beside him.

They never needed slime to sleep, as long as they were together.


End file.
